Many French people are unaware of its existence. Others, on the contrary, already swear by it. For the past month, a financial boost called a “repair bonus” has made it possible to have a used item of clothing or a pair of shoes repaired by a professional. Applicable directly at checkout, without proof, it entitles you to a reduction in the amount of 6 to 25 euros depending on the service chosen. Objective: to encourage consumers to keep their textiles for longer and thus avoid waste and overconsumption. The initiative, which imitates the “repair bonus” implemented a year ago for electrical and electronic devices, is promising. But does it really give satisfaction?
“The start is satisfactory, the feedback is very positive, both from customers and repairers”, estimates the eco organization Refashion, who is responsible for managing the device. To benefit from the operation, you must contact a partner business. Nearly 700 partner points of sale for the operation are currently listed in France. Among them, a majority of independent artisans. “The first objective of 500 partners has been achieved. We are now targeting 1,500 partners by 2025, we are off to a good start,” comments Elsa Chassagnette, head of the repair fund at Refashion.
Transactions also seem to be there since just over 12,000 repair declarations eligible for the bonus were recorded after one month. “It’s a good result,” appreciates Elsa Chassagnette. From what we have been told, the most common requests concern the repair of tears for clothing and the installation of skates and the change of toe caps for shoes. Fairly accessible repairs but which were far from being a reflex for everyone. »
“We hadn’t experienced this for several years”
Laura Paul is the manager of one of the network’s stores Rapid Couture In Nantes. Since the launch of the repair bonus, it has seen immediate growth in its activity. “Previously, one in three customers who came to the store left when they were told the prices. There, since the launch, I no longer have any. The incentive effect on prices therefore seems to be working. » Same story within the shoe repair network Mister Minit. “Activity in one month increased by 50%. This is very meaningful for us. We see both new customers and regulars coming back with more shoes. When we go to the store, we see that the racks are full. We haven’t experienced this for several years,” rejoices Stéphane Paris, director of strategic activities at Mister Minit France.
One of the challenges of these brands is to attract a younger clientele, particularly sneaker owners. “The sneaker market represents more than half of the shoes sold in France and we tend to believe that these are disposable, non-repairable shoes. Rubber resoling (18 euros reduction) we put it on the bonus list to attract this audience,” explains Elsa Chassagnette. “We had very few young people who came to see us,” confirms the representative of Mister Minit. The bonus will perhaps help to change mentalities. »
“Declarations take an hour a day”
If the repair bonus does not require any action for the customer, it is different for the professional, who must scrupulously declare each item, supporting photo, in order to benefit from reimbursement of the bonus. A system which discouraged certain craftsmen. “The declaration takes two minutes per act on average,” says Laura Paul, of Rapid Couture. I calculated that it was almost an hour a day. It’s definitely extra work time. But I think it’s worth it. Having more customers also allows you to make additional sales outside of the bonus. »
As for the risk of professionals taking advantage of the bonus to increase prices, Refashion ensures that it carries out regular checks. “We have already identified craftsmen who had increased their prices by the amount of the bonus,” indicates Elsa Chassagnette. We are monitoring this very closely. But, on the other hand, we cannot prevent them over time from reviewing their prices to adapt to inflation, for example. If we want to revalue these professions, repairers must also be paid their fair value. »
Not all clothing and shoes are eligible for the repair bonus; for example, underwear, leather clothing and real fur clothing are exceptions. Furthermore, the amount of the repair bonus cannot exceed 60% of the price of the repair including tax and the minimum repair price eligible for the bonus is 12 euros.
Organized by the State, the repair fund is financed by textile brands. Its reserve amounts to 154 million euros for the period 2023-2028.